Bent bows & max penthouse weight

[WOOT]

What is the max weight that you can add to the penthouse top before you have issues with bent bows? I want to put a full lenght Roof Rack with solar panels & would like to avoid any issues. I do wish to point out that my top isn't electric so that isn't in an issue. I understand that you can adjust the springs to help with lifting but that leaves the bows the weak point.
Any Thoughts?
Woot........

[Ford_6L_E350]

I would probably call SMB and ask them. Then I would double their reply. You may think otherwise.

Mike

[daveb]

There are several posts on this issue. I think the electric top is different than the push up top so the weight that would cause the push up style top to suddenly drop needs to be taken into account. As Mike said, SMB is a good source. The addition of snow could be a problem in some cases.

[mjeffrey]

SMB West told me 40lbs was max weight for the manual top, 150lbs for the electric.

[WVvan]

From the pictures and descriptions I've seen here of other rigs doesn't 40lbs (manual top) seem pretty conservative?

[Ford_6L_E350]

Maybe that's the limit before it is impossible for most of us to open the top?

I added about 30# when I put a solar panel and associated brackets on my roof. It was difficult to open until I adjusted the springs.

Mike

[WOOT]

I spoke with Jeff at SMB west. I had asked what was the weight limit that a manual top could support without any bow issues & he told me that the electric top has a 200lb limit & the manual top could support as much as you are able to lift but both need to have the loads distrubited evenly, along with having the support poles in each corner after reaching maxumin height. Now I can't see the bows taking that much pressure durning the opening/closing up/down motion.
Whats the cost of new bows? Woot....................

[WVvan]

This previous post should be of interest.
Adjusting the PH springs

[surfgeek33]

Thats why we bit the bullet and opted for the electric top When we camped, I would leave lots of gear that we don't use at the time on our safari rack. Never had a bent bow issue. I'm quite sure they use the same tubular lift for both manual and electric.

[John Kalmbach]

The U-tubes were made several ways throughout the years, early models used mild steel tubing, then DOM steel tubing. Once the electric top was incorporated, a piece of 3/4" O.D. chromoly steel tubing was inserted into the DOM steel tubing to increase the strength of the U-tubes.

While it is a chore to remove the U-tubes, you could strengthen your existing ones by inserting chromoly tubing into each "leg". The inserts were as long as possible, from the end of the "leg" to the radius. Using the existing 1/4" holes as a guide, new holes were drilled through the chromoly tube after it was inserted. SMB did increase the 1/4" bolt diameter to 5/16" in later years.

You could probably buy what you need from SMB.

John K.